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2 sheets sheet 1. P. H. PAINE. SPEED REGULATING MECHANISM FOR TORPEDOES AND OTHER VESSELS.

No. 478,814. Patented July 12, 1892.

831 attozmmg 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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F. H. PAINE. SPEED REGULATING MECHANISM FOR TORPEDOES AND OTHER vEssELs Patented July 12, 1892.

mucufoz consists, essentially, of a moving frame, called UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK HENRY 'PAIRE, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR. TO TIIE IIOTCHKISS ORDNANCE COMPANY, LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

SPEED-REGULATING MECHANISM FOR TORPEDOESi AND OTHER VESSELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 120,478,814, dated July 12, 1892.

Application and March 26. 1892. Serial no; 426,596- (No man.)

.To all whom it na/y concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK HENRY PAINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paris, in the Republic of France,have invented new and useful Improvements in Speed-Regulating Mechanism for Torpedoes and other Vessels, of which the following isa specification. i

My invention relates to speed-regulating mechanism for marine torpedoes and other vessels by which any variation in the speed of rotation of the propeller-shaft automatically varies the pitch of the propeller-blades, thus equalizing the speed of the torpedo or other vessel throughout its course.

For the purposes of this application Ihave shown my invention as applied to a sel[-pr0-' pelling torpedo, in which the motive power is obtained from a source of energy carried by the torpedosuch, for example, as the flywheel described and shown in Letters Patent No. 121,052, granted John- A. Howell, dated November 21, 187l-t0 wit, a fly-wheel to which a very rapid. movement of rotation is imparted by any power extraneous to the torpedo; but I do not limit myself to. its use with such a motor or with a marine torpedo, as the said device may be used in any motor and in all vessels inwhich such requirements may arise.

My speed-regulating mechanism, which tail-section of the torpedo, in a chamber opento the passage of the water, part of its mechanism being exterior to the torpedo-shell It the pitch-frame, connected with the propeller-blades, which .are revolubly mounted in their hubs in such .,wise that a movement of the frame varies the pitch of the propellerblades. The frame is actuated by a stud engaging in a cam-groove of a cam-plate, the gear of which is automatically thrown into engagement with the propellershaft on the torpedo striking the water. The angle of the cam-groove is so proportioned to the decreasing speed of revolution of the propeller-shaft that the pitchirame in following the groove proportionally increases the pitch of the propeller-blades, and thus maintains the original speed of the torpedo.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is avertical longitudinal section of the tail of a torpedo on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 isahorizontal longitudinal section of the' same on the line 2 2 of Fig.1, and .Fig. 3 is a modification of a revolubly pivoted propeller-blade adapted to be used with the speed-regulatin g mechanism.

A A are the propellershafts.

A'is a worm loosely mounted upon one of the:1 shafts and having clutch-jogs a at one en A is a clutch-collar mounted on a feather a. on the propeller-shaft A and turning with the latter, but having a longitudinal motion on the feather, so as to be thrown in and out of engagement with the clutch on the worm A. A is a trigger with an enlarged disk-shaped head, mounted in suitable hearings onthe horizontal fin and having an eccentric-shank a which works in a squared face collar a in a groovea on the clutch-collar A and a second arm a, having a postd", which fits in a socket in the worm A, preventing the latter from turning when the trigger is held forward by the spring A on its shank.

a is a spring-catch to hold the trigger when thrown back.

B is a cam-gear having a removable camplate B with a cam-groove b, and is operated by the worm A through the gears B B.

O is the horizontally-moving pitch-frame, sliding in suitable bearings c c, secured to the tail-section and having a stud O, which engages with the eccentric cam-groove b of the cam 1' Rods 0 extending from the pitchframe 0, are provided at their outer extremities with a pitch-fork 0, having studs 0 which engage with grooves e in the cam-collars 0 which are mounted and slide longitudinally on feathers c on the propeller-shafts 5 A A. The cam-collars C, which have fiat latter, which are screw-threaded at the base d, screw into their seats (1' in the hub D, so

that each blade is free to turn about its pitchaxis according as the bladelevers C are 5 moved by the cam-collar grooves c". The hub D is out out to allow for the angular throw of the blade-levers C, as shown at LP.

The operation of my invention is as 0,1- lows: \Vhen the torpedo is placed in the tube ready for launching, the trigger A is held forward by its spring A and all of the mechanism is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, with the worm A disconnected from the clutch-collar 'A and therefore unaffected by the revolution of the :propeller-shaft. The cam-gear B and pitch-frame C are at rest and the propeller-blades D turned to their set pitch. \Vhen the torpedo enters the water, the trigger A is thrown back by the impact of the disk-head on the water and the trigger catches in the spring-catch a. The turning of the trigger withdraws its arm a from the socket in the worm A and simultaneously its eccentric-shank a throws forward the clutchcollar A into engagement with the worm A. This in turn sets the gear B B in operation, and the pitch-frame 0, being conducted slowly back by the progress of its stud C in the cam-groove Z) of the cam-gear B, pushes the revolving cam-collars C toward the propellerhubs D, thereby moving the blade-arms C and turning the blades D to a higher pitch as the speed of the propeller-shat t decreases. This movement can also be given by rawinug the cam-collars C forward if the angle of the grooves c in the cam-collar is reversed and if the cam-groove b of the cam-plate l3 throws in toward the center .from the periphery instead of from the center out, as shown in the drawings. The augmentation or variation of the pitch depends upon the varying angle or sinuosity in the cam-groove bin the cam-plate B to the transverse line of the pitch-frame O and also to the angle of the grooves c in .5 the cam-collars O to the blade-levers C. The

propeller-blades D are formed to a certain pitch, and when turned on their vertical axis the new pitch varies at each radius from the hub-center to the tip. When turned to a lower pitch than that for which formed, the pitch increases more at the tips than at the roots, which within limits is considered a favor-. able condition, many propeller-blades being formed in this way. When turned to a higher pitch than'that for which formed, the reverse variation occurs, which is not considered a favorable condition, but may be utilized in certain cases for equalizing speed or expending superfluous power. A variable-pitch propelo ler should therefore be formed for nearly the highest pitch for which it is to be used, and is then an eifective screw-propeller in addition to its usefulness in varying or equalizing speed.

Itis evident that by merely setting the camgear at different points in respect to the pitchframe before the run the speed can be varied,

(fora given amount'of power,) so that a shorter run at a higher speed would result, or a longer run at a slower speed with the same amount of power; also, that by replacing the equalizing cam-plate B with another having a special groove throwing out. from the center or from the periphery toward the center at any point the speed can be automatically varied during the run for certain useful objects. For instance, in discharging torpedoes ahead from bow-launching tubes from vessels at high speed there is danger of overrunuing the terpedoes before the latter gather their way, and in this case the cam-groove could be made to give a speed sufficiently greater than the average speed (for a short distance) to avoid such danger, and then to curve in so as to produce an equalizing speed for the remainder of the course; or it might be desirable to run a torpedo or boat at a moderate rate of speed for the greater part of its run and then to cause it to take up an eXtreL-iely high velocity as a striking force against nets or other obstructions.

The parts of the variable-pitch mechanism outside the tail-cone, excepting the trigger, arescreened from passing water by thin metal screens to guide the water to the propellers.

I do not limit myself to the use of the variable-pitch mechanism or the variable-pitch propellers in marine torpedoes alone, as it is evident that the general system can be applied to any boat in such manner that all operations of backing or slowing on one or more propellers or engines can be done from the pilot-house for maneuvering purposes.

In place of screwing in the blades D, as shown in Fig. 1,they may be mounted with a universal joint, as shown in Fig. 3.

I do not limit myself to the particular means for pivoting the revoluble propeller-blades, as the same may be greatly varied, provided that the blades shall always be capable of varying their relation to the axis of the propeller-hub.

While I have shown the trigger A as held by a catch a, it is evident that the catch may be omitted and the tension of the spring'A so adjusted as to yield only at a certain rate of speed through the water, and to release the clutch-collar from the worm at alower speed. Neither do I limit myself to any particular form of trigger, as it also may be varied in a great number of Ways without departing from the spirit of my invention.

In addition to controlling the speed of the torpedo by varying the pitch of the propellerblades the pitch-frame C may be utilized for various purposessuch, for example, as holding the rudders at any desired angle for any given time, (measured by the revolution of the propeller-shaft and for controlling a pendulum-immobilizing attachment,) as shown in my application, Serial N 0. 426,594, filed March 26, 1892.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with twin propellers having blades pivotally mounted in the propeller-hub, of a pitch-regulating device for rotating the blades about a pitch-varying axis, suitable lever connections between it and the blades of each propeller, and driving mechanism between the pitch-regulating device and the shaft of one of the propellers, whereby the pitch of the blades of each'propeller is automatically and simultaneously controlled, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a propeller-shaft and a propeller having blades pivotally mounted in the propeller-hub, of a pitch-regulating device for rotating the blades about a pitchvarying axis and mechanism driven by the propeller-shaft automatically controlling the pitch-regulating device, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a propeller-shaft and a propeller having blades pivotally mounted in the propeller-hub, of a pitch-regulating device for rotating the blades about a pitchvarying axis, mechanism driven by the propeller-shaft to control the pitch-regulating device, and a device for connecting and disconnecting the driving mechanism and the propeller-shaft, substantially as described.

4. The combination, wit-h a propeller-shaft and a propeller having blades pivotally mounted in the propeller-hub, of a pitch-regulating device for rotating the blades about a pitchvarying axis, mechanism driven by the propeller-shaft to control the pitch-regulating device, and a device automatically operated by the impact of the water for throwing the driving mechanism into and out of gear with the shaft, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a propeller-shaft and a propellerhaving blades pivotally mounted in the propeller-hub, of a collar revolving with and sliding longitudinally on the propeller-shaft, lever connections between the collar and the blades, and automatic mechanism between the collar and the propellershaft to slide the collar along the shaft, whereby the blades are rotated about a pitch-varying axis, substantially as described.

(3. The combination, with a propeller-shaft and a propeller having blades pivotally mounted in the propeller-hub, of a collar revolving with and sliding longitudinally on the propeller-shaft, lever connections between the collar and the blades, a sliding pitch-frame, transmitting connections between the pitchframe and the collar, a cam device engaging with the sliding pitch-frame to govern its rate of motion, and driving mechanism between the propeller-shaft and cam device, whereby the pitch of the propeller-blades is automatically varied, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a propeller-shaft and a propeller having blades pivotallymounted in the propeller-hub, of a sliding pitchframe, suitable transmitting connections between the pitch-frame and the propellerblades, a cam device engaging with the pitchframe to govern its rate of motion, and driving mechanism between the propeller-shaft and the cam device, whereby the pitch of the blades is automatically varied, substantially as described.

8. The combination, with a propeller-shaft and a propeller having blades pivotally mounted in the propeller-hub, of a sliding pitch frame, suitable transmitting connections between the pitch-frame and the propeller-blades, a cam device engaging with the pitch-frame to govern its rate of motion, driving mechanism between the propeller-shaft and the cam device, and an automatic device released by the pressure of the water to throw the shaft and driving mechanism into and out of gear, substantially as described.

9. The cornbinatiomwith a propeller-shaft, of a sliding frame, a cam device engaging with the sliding frame, and driving mechanism between the propeller-shaft and the cam device, whereby the cam device automatically controls the rate of motion of the frame, sub- I stantially as set forth.

10. The combination of the propeller-hub D, having the screw-threaded recesses d, the blades D, having the threaded bases (1, the propeller-shaft A, the cam-collar O having fiat sides opposite each blade and sliding longitudinally on the feather c of the shaft A, and the lever-arms 0 secured at one end to the base of the blades and having at the other end the posts 0 engaging in grooves c in the cam-collar sides, substantially as set forth.

11. The combination of the propeller-hub D, having the screw-threaded recesses d, the blades D, having the threaded bases 6?, the propeller-shaft A, having the feather c, the cam-collar C sliding longitudinally thereon and having fiat sides grooved at 0 the lever-arms 0 secured to the blades and having the posts 0 traveling in the cam-collar grooves, the longitudinally-sliding pitch-frame G, the arms 0 connected to the pitch-frame and having the pitchforks c seated in the groove 0 of the cam-collars C the cam-gear B, having the sinuous cam-groove b, engaging with the stud C on the pitch-frame, the drivinggear B B, meshing with the cam-gear, the worm A, loosely mounted on the propellershat't and meshing with the driving-gear, the clutch-collar A mounted on shaftA and sliding longitudinally on the feather a and the trigger A having an enlarged head and eccentric-shank a engaging in the groove 01 of the clutch-collar, and an arm a with post a engaging with the worm and spring A, substantially as described.

12. The combination, with the propellershaft A, of the worm A, loosely mounted thereon, the clutch-collar A sliding on the feather a on the shaft A, the trigger a l1av ing an enlarged head, an eccentric-shank a In testimony whereof I have hereunto set engaging in the groove a of the clutch-collar, my hand in the presence of two subscribing an arm a with a post a engaging the Worm witnesses.

and spring A, whereby the clutch-collar is FREDERICK HENRY PAINE. thrown into and out of engagement with the \Vitnesses:

worm by the impact of the water on the trig- ROBT. M. IIOOPER,

ger-head, as described. I). T. S. FULLER. 

